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For more information on the Benz Road speed monitoring project, contact Gus Pivetti, Senior Traffic Engineer for the city's Traffic and Transportation Planning division, at (661) 286-4047 or visit santa-clarita.com.

As part of a six month long traffic study, the city of Santa Clarita will remove turn restrictions at two intersections on Copper Hill Drive, as well as on Bouquet Canyon Road to test the effectiveness of speed cushions installed this spring. The turn restrictions will be removed for three months, during which city staff will monitor traffic volume and speed in the Benz Road neighborhood.

Beginning mid-July, right turn restrictions will be removed on Copper Hill Drive at Buckhorn Lane and Benz Road, and left turn restrictions will be removed on Bouquet Canyon Road at Sue Drive and Benz Road. The restrictions will be removed for three months, after which city staff will bring the traffic study results before City Council to decide the appropriate measures to take to further reduce traffic volume in the Benz Road neighborhood.

"The six-month Benz traffic study is part of a lengthy open and public process in which hundreds of community members gave their input." said Mayor Frank Ferry. "To date, city endeavors have significantly reduced the amount of traffic in the neighborhood and the study results will assist City Council in deciding the most effective course of action to take to further lessen cut-through traffic in the Benz Road neighborhood."

City staff will monitor and gather traffic volumes and speed information in the neighborhood for the following three months while schools are in session, and survey area residents for opinions and observations on the effectiveness of the speed cushions without turn restrictions.

In 2006, the city installed signs restricting left turns from Bouquet Canyon Road onto Benz Road and Sue Road from 7-9 a.m., as well as signs restricting right turns from Copper Hill Drive onto Buckhorn Drive and Benz Road between the hours of 4:30-6:30 p.m. A traffic diverter was also installed, and later removed, on Benz Road as part of the six-month traffic study.

City engineers began monitoring traffic in the neighborhood 3 months ago with both the speed cushions and turn restrictions in place and will now monitor traffic around the area without turn restrictions.